Uber Fined $8.9m For Using Criminals As Drivers

Uber is under fire again about whether its background checks are thorough enough. Colorado regulators fined the ride-hailing company $8.9 million for allowing 57 drivers with criminal or motor vehicle offenses onto its network.

One of the drivers was a convicted felon and habitual offender who used a fake name to sign up as an Uber driver, according to state officials.

"We have determined that Uber had background check information that should have disqualified these drivers under the law, but they were allowed to drive anyway," Doug Dean, director of the Colorado Public Utilities Commission, CPUC, said in a statement. "These actions put the safety of passengers in extreme jeopardy."

Uber acknowledged that some drivers who shouldn't have been allowed on its service had been approved. The company blamed the problem on an error in its background check process and has deactivated some driver accounts as part of its fix.

"This error affected a small number of drivers and we immediately took corrective action," an Uber spokeswoman said in an emailed statement.

"We will continue to work closely with the CPUC to enable access to safe, reliable transportation options for all Coloradans," the statement said.